Hog Pilots, Blue Water Grunts

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The Atlantic Monthly continues to sustain me and run excerpts from my books. For that I am grateful to its owner, David G. Bradley, and the editorial guidance he has brought to the magazine in the person of James Bennet. I thank Cullen Murphy and Robert Messenger for their help with the manuscript, as well as Benjamin Healy, Justine Isola, Yvonne Rolzhausen, Elizabeth Shelburne, and Scott Stossel. More help came from my literary agents, Carl D. Brandt and Marianne Merola. The editorial team of Kate Medina and Robin Rolewicz at Random House was once again a distinct pleasure to work with. Thanks also go to copy editor Charlotte Gross.

The John M. Olin, Smith Richardson, and Earhart foundations were generous in their support. In particular, I want to thank James Piereson of the Olin Foundation for his encouragement of my work for two decades. Assistance also came from the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, specifically Harvey Sicherman, Alan Luxenberg, and Michael Noonan.

The following persons were instrumental in getting me access to people and situations that form the core of this book: Navy Capt. Matt Brown, Army Lt. Col. Ken Comer, Marine Maj. Tim Keefe, Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Charles Ramey, Navy Lt. Comdr. Jason Salata, Army Maj. Holly Silkman, and Army Lt. Col. John Silkman

Heartfelt thanks go to the crew of the USS Benfold during its fall and winter 2004–05 deployment to the western Pacific; to the crew of the USS Houston during its spring 2005 journey from Hawaii to Guam; to the Army’s 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team (especially the 4th Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment) during its 2005–06 deployment to Iraq; to the Air Force’s 25th Fighter Squadron out of Osan Air Base, South Korea; and to the 393rd Bomb Squadron out of Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, during its 2006 deployment to Guam.

I am also grateful to Army Maj. Romero Alonso, Navy Senior Chief Jon Annis, Navy Lt. Chuck Bell, Navy Comdr. Jeff Bender, Navy Lt. Dave Benham, Army Lt. Col. Bill Bigelow, Army Capt. Michael Blankartz, Army Maj. Don Bridgers, Navy Lt. Rob Briggs, Army Col. Bob Brown, Army Lt. Gen. John M. Brown III, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael Canfield, Army Lt. Col. Kevin Clark, Army Gen. John Craddock, Navy Lt. Comdr. Jeff Davis, Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula, Army Col. Jack Dibrell, Air Force Col. Daniel Doty, Air Force Capt. Daniel Dubois, Army Lt. Col. Scott Eaddy, Army Capt. Paul Edwards, Army Maj. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, Air Force Capt. Giovanni Estrada, Navy Adm. William Fallon, Navy Adm. Thomas B. Fargo, Air Force Tech. Sgt. James Fisher, Army Lt. Col. (Reserve) Roman Fontes, Army Maj. Kirk Gohlke, Navy Capt. Curry Graham, Marine Lt. Gen. Wallace Gregson, Army Chief Warrant Officer III Bill Gunter, Marine Gen. Michael Hagee, Air Force Master Sgt. John Hancock, Army Chief Warrant Officer IV John Haywood, Army Brig. Gen. James Hirai, Ship’s Master Richard Horne, Navy Comdr. Brian Howes, Air Force Col. Alan Hunt, Navy Lt. Comdr. Bill Irwin, Air Force Capt. Victoria Keegan, Ship’s Master Ken Kujala, Air Force Maj. Gen. Dennis Larson, Army 2nd Lt. Michelle Lunato, Marine Capt. Dan McSweeney, Air Force 1st Lt. Justin McVay, Army Lt. Col. Dave Markowsky, Marine Staff Sgt. Jonathan Moor, Navy Vice Adm. John Morgan, Air Force Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Army Maj. Glen Nunez, Army Chief Warrant Officer III Wilkie Pietri, Air Force Maj. Joe Puskar, Air Force Maj. Glen Roberts, Army Col. Michael Shields, Navy Capt. John Singley, Air Force Lt. Col. Jay Steuck, Marine Lt. Eric Tausch, Army Lt. Col. Scott Taylor, Army Capt. Troy Terrebonne, Army Col. Rick Thomas, Marine Chief Warrant Officer V Richard Thompson, Army Capt. Victor Torres, Air Force Gen. Charles Wald, Air Force Master Sgt. Roy Watson, Army Maj. Tom Weaver, Navy Comdr. Clayton Wilcox, and Army Col. Tony Williams.

Another delight was traveling for six weeks with a television crew from 3BM in London, sponsored by WETA, the public television station in Washington, D.C. The companionship of Paul Lang, Vaughn Matthews, Paul Paragon, and Tim Pritchard was enthralling. For that I am grateful to Jeff Bieber, Phil Craig, and David Wilson.

Others who helped were Grenville Byford, Charles Canterbury, Tom Clements, George Cooper, Tim Dougherty, Milton Drucker, Dennis Fujii, Adam Garfinkle, Hitman Gurung, Laura D. Lucas, Kevin Lulloff, James Moriarity, Mohan Prasai, Thomas G. Reich, Satish Jung Shahi, Prem Singh, William Slape, Patricia Stigliani, James P. Thomas, Mike Vickers, and W. J. Wesley.

I completed this book while teaching at the United States Naval Academy, a deeply rewarding experience, for which I thank the Annapolis graduating class of 1960, which has sponsored my visiting professorship, and my colleagues of the political science department for their friendship and help.

Elizabeth Lockyer is the finest assistant one could hope for. I am continually blessed by my wife, Maria Cabral, and my son, Michael.